Training the Soldier for COIN

[soldiernolongeriniraq]

You're not an Army National Guard unit are you? Why are you redoing TTPs and basic skillsets everyone about the rank of E-1 already should know? If your SOPs aren't set 60 days before deployment, I don't know what to tell you.

You and your peeps have been there before, right? Or at least you've participated in NTC, JTC or some other advanced field exercise on conducting COIN in urban areas?

A great deal depends on where you're going. If its Anbar or Diyalah, there are skillsets and intel you will need that are inherent to those climes and places. If you're going to Baghdad or thereabouts, there are things you will need to know about that.

Theoretically, you have a forward party either participating in the departing or moving unit's RIPTOA, right? What does the advanced party think you should brush up on?

Your S-2 by now should have some idea about the place you're going. This will include a detailed ethnographic study of the tribal, kinship and clan-based structures of the population that depends on you for security and upon which you will depend for information and assistance.

As a LT, I imagine your role will be no higher than that of the platoon commander. As a platoon commander, if you haven't been to Iraq then you need to discuss this issue with a more senior officer who has conducted a competent COIN there, or one of your own more senior NCOs.

They will be the first to tell you that the more Arabic language and cultural skills you embrace now, the better you will be when you get to Iraq. How much Gulf or Iraqi Arabic do you know? Do you at least have a phrase book? Have you brushed up on the etiquette necessary to not completely alienate kinship leaders in your AO when you get there?

Has the 3-shop sent to you detailed paraphrases of the AAs left to your unit by the previous commander and his staff? If you will be working jointly with other service's units, such as USMC CAG, has the forward sent you the previous two CAG or PRT reports on their operations?

If your battalion (or another) has rotated there before, there should be a series of saved op ords (probably, inevitably, in PowerPoint). See if you can get a hold of those so you can see how other operations went down.

If you're not going to the same, or a similar AO, then your advance party should have requested some sample operational documents to look at. Ask your S-2 or your CO if he's seen anything like that.

Your 2 also probably has a list of every tribal and kinship leader in your likely sector, not to mention all the BOLOs you should be worried about. He can send it to you as a scanned document on AKO. Memorize it.

What will you be doing in OIF? Are you infantry? Scouts? Medical? Convoy escorts? REMFs?

Each speciality will require its own unique skillsets. If you're bound for an infantry placement, go over and over again the SOPs you've developed for operations out of your COP. Think divide the pie room clearing, detainee processing, et al. Ensure that every member of your platoon can easily transition to do the job just above and just below him. Stress weapons maintenance and complete proficiency on all aspects of crew served weapon operations.

If you're a convoy escort, you can't do too many reaction to IED drills. Build up that muscle memory. Understand how you will treat casualties and destroyed vehicles. Make sure that you, too often, are the casualty. Make Ensure that EVERY member of EVERY vehicle understands how to operate the radios and BFT. If you've never been in a complex attack, go through every possible contingency for SAF, IED/EFP/Mine, RPG, mortar, et al, attacks in all their various forms.

Assume, always, that there will be casualties. Assume that casualty might very well be you.

[RTK]

You're not an Army National Guard unit are you? Why are you redoing TTPs and basic skillsets everyone about the rank of E-1 already should know? If your SOPs aren't set 60 days before deployment, I don't know what to tell you.

I don't think he's redoing anything, so before we lay out the linear ambush and pile on, let's get some things in order.

StrategicLT is doing what a good leader does: Making sure his "i's" are dotted and "t's" are crossed before he deploys and getting an azimuth check from those who have BTDT.

The training management tangent was a pet peeve of mine. This was as good an entry point to cover it as any.

I've dialoged with him on AKO with a WARNO to bring it to SIPR. He's got what he needs and will do fine in theater. It never hurts to double check.